352 ALFALFA FARMING IN AMERICA. 
ought to be eut because of the immensity of the 
fields and the dearth of labor. It is best there, as 
elsewhere, to mow and stack the surplus, letting 
the new growth come up strong and fresh. 
If there is any difficulty in pasturing alfalfa in 
Argentina arising from its liability to bloat animals 
I have been unable to discover any mention of it in 
reports from that country. It is probable that there 
is some loss when hungry cattle are suddenly turned 
to rank alfalfa. Being constantly on it, and having 
access to native grasses more or less mixed with the 
alfalfa the loss is probably very slight. 
Finishing Cattle on Alfalfa—The carrying capa- 
city of alfalfa pasture in Argentina is estimated at 
from 2 to 4% animals per square (4.17 acres) the 
year round, or in round numbers from % to 1 ani- 
mal per acre. An animal there always means a beef 
animal, and it is estimated that a pasture will carry 
four times as many sheep as it will cattle. This 
is a curious estimate as it is usual to estimate 8 
sheep to one steer. This estimate is for breeding 
cattle. For fattening it must be reduced slightly. 
Hixcept in the winter. alfalfa pasture will fatten three 
to five rough animals per square, in five to eight 
months. Rough, thin work oxen are fattened in 
that time. There is a large business of raising feed- 
ers on poorer lands north or south on native grasses 
and driving them in great herds to the alfalfa fields 
to be fattened. As the beasts approach within a 
few months of the age at which they should start 
